A trial in the District Court of Minnesota is set to change America. Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murdering George Floyd last summer, when the police officer shoved his knee into the civilian’s neck for nearly ten minutes, after Floyd was suspected to be using a forged $20 note. Over 40 witnesses gave evidence during the 15 day trial but the jury was swift and unanimous in their decision: Chauvin was declared guilty on all three counts: second-degree manslaughter, second-degree and third-degree murder.
George Floyd’s death sparked worldwide outrage: the video – filmed by 17-year-old Darnella Frazier – showed the most brutal, and ultimately fatal, tactics being used on a man who said in the footage 27 times he was struggling to breathe. It quickly came to represent an ugly truth in America: the blind eye turned to the militarisation of our police forces and the black Americans who disproportionately suffer from its brutal consequences.
Although the verdict has now been issued, there is still much more to come
President Joe Biden described the verdict as a ‘moment of significant change’ in how the country will hold law enforcement to account in the future.
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